The ongoing ‘beautification drive’ in New Delhi has become a headache for everyone (Sidewalks dug up, students jostle with cars for road space, April 15).

Bad planning is responsible for the mess in the DelhiThe ongoing ‘beautification drive’ in New Delhi has become a headache for everyone (Sidewalks dug up, students jostle with cars for road space, April 15). Almost all pavements in the city are being refurbished at the same time. This is leading to daily traffic congestion and forcing pedestrians to walk on the roads. It’s true that the capital needs a facelift before this year’s Commonwealth Games, but all this could have been planned a bit better.Jasmine Jose, via email

Siras’ ‘killers’ must be punishedThe editorial Prejudice is not skin deep (Our Take, April 16) rightly states that ‘there’s a fine line dividing prejudice and intolerance’. The two journalists who conducted a sting operation on Aligarh Muslim University’s professor S.R. Siras are nothing but criminals and should be punished.Tarlok Singh, via email

IIThe sting operation on Professor S.R. Siras is deplorable and illegal. Sting operations should be banned because they are often grossly misused.Vijay Karki, Dehradun

Probe IPL’s financial recordsWith reference to the report Heat on: Taxmen visit IPL offices, question Modi (April 16), the spat between Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi and Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor over the Kochi team is unseemly. The IPL bubble has burst and the government should order an impartial and expeditious investigation into the business of IPL. The need of the hour is to introduce transparency and accountability in IPL’s functioning.J.M. Manchanda, Delhi

IITharoor’s alleged involvement in the auctioning of the Kochi cricket team has embarrassed the UPA. Of late, Tharoor has been at the centre of controversies and this does not bode well for the Congress’s popularity in Kerala. It will be in the UPA’s interest that Tharoor is either asked to mend his ways or is sacked.S.K. Shah, Delhi

IIINothing mirrors the widening gap between the rich and poor in our society more starkly than the IPL phenomenon. While millions of people are struggling hard to eke out an existence, the sharks in business and politics are busy capitalising on our love of cricket to make millions of rupees. The dramatis personae in the side-show represent the rottenness in the IPL. Evidently, their fracas is over ‘to which pocket how much’ should go. Nobody at the helm of the BCCI-IPL can claim that their actions are completely above board. The valid question of why tax waivers, write-offs and subsidies are given as freebies to billionaires and millionaires behind the IPL under the pretext of making it a grand success at a time of drastic cuts in food subsidy despite the rising hunger goes unasked and unanswered. G. David Milton, via email

Sehwag deserves the honourWith reference to the editorial 2nd innings encore (The Pundit, April 16), Virender Sehwag deserved to win the ‘Wisden Cricketer of the Year’ title for the second time in a row. He is one of the fiercest opening batsmen in the world.Subhayu Saha, Murshidabad

Decentralise governanceGeorge Mathew in The Raj still survives (April 16) rightly states that “the time has come to make decentralisation a reality”. A bottom-up approach of governance will strengthen India both politically and economically. But the government should act against the power-brokers.R.J. Khurana, Bhopal